So I've been running my heat pump for the last 7 months without a filter....

[blurredvision]

I purchased my first home last September, and we had a brand new heat pump installed to replace the 35 year-old central AC unit and propane heat furnace. I've been meaning to check the filter for cleaning or replacement for months now, but it always seemed to slip my mind. This morning I finally thought of it, and dropped what I was doing to check it immediately. Come to find out, the installers never installed a filter on the intake, so it's been running since last September with no filter whatsoever.

Is this bad? I've not had any complaints about the unit thus far, but hopefully this doesn't lessen the life of the unit. I plan on going to Lowe's this afternoon to buy one, and install ASAP.

 

[BoomerD]

Your heat exchanger could be pretty packed with dust by now...you MAY need to have it cleaned and serviced.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Your heat exchanger could be pretty packed with dust by now...you MAY need to have it cleaned and serviced.

I wonder if that's something the HVAC installers would have to pay for since they did not put one in. Unfortunately, I am the only one who looks like a complete fool because I haven't checked the filter for months .

 

[BoomerD]

Yeah, if you'd have caught it in the first 30 days, you could blame them, but since you should change that filter every month (unless you use one of the 90 day filters) that puts it on you...

 

[Adul]

live and learn.

 

[drnickriviera]

A/C unit on the same level as the living space or is it in the attic? Number of air intakes? Couple of big ones or one in each room?

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Your heat exchanger could be pretty packed with dust by now...you MAY need to have it cleaned and serviced.

yeah, i would just get it serviced and cleaned to make sure your investment lasts

I :heart: heat pumps

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: drnickriviera
A/C unit on the same level as the living space or is it in the attic? Number of air intakes? Couple of big ones or one in each room?

Just one floor, so everything on the same level. One air intake in the middle of the house. Heating and cooling about 1150 sq.ft.

 

[drnickriviera]

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: drnickriviera
A/C unit on the same level as the living space or is it in the attic? Number of air intakes? Couple of big ones or one in each room?

Just one floor, so everything on the same level. One air intake in the middle of the house. Heating and cooling about 1150 sq.ft.

You're screwed. Those designs suck up a ton of dust. I'd get it cleaned before the cooling season starts.

On second thought, it may not be too bad as you've never run it through a cooling cycle. Dirty air through a wet a-coil = bad

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: drnickriviera

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: drnickriviera
A/C unit on the same level as the living space or is it in the attic? Number of air intakes? Couple of big ones or one in each room?

Just one floor, so everything on the same level. One air intake in the middle of the house. Heating and cooling about 1150 sq.ft.

You're screwed. Those designs suck up a ton of dust. I'd get it cleaned before the cooling season starts.

On second thought, it may not be too bad as you've never run it through a cooling cycle. Dirty air through a wet a-coil = bad

Define "screwed". I've already put in a call to the HVAC people, and the guy I spoke to said he would check on a couple of things and call me back to see what can be done about servicing it. We've ran the air conditioner on a number of occassions, but it has been mostly heat over the winter.

I'm hoping and praying I don't have to pay anything.....I don't think I have the money to pay it right now (depending on how much it is). Besides, I'm leaning more towards them being responsible for servicing it and cleaning it, as I paid $3k for a full service install. My inefficieny aside, for them to leave out the air filter is unnacceptable.

 

[drnickriviera]

Worst case is the a-coil is clogged. If you try to use it, it will freeze up leaving you with no air. Put your hand near a vent, you should be able to feel the air blowing from at least 2' away.

Although i've cleaned a-coils while the were still installed, most a/c guys will remove it and take it outside to clean it with a waterhose. ~2hr job

I have a felling if the air flow is still good, the a/c guys may just try to clean the a-coil in place. There are coil cleaners than foam up and boil out all the dust. Or they may just say, air flow is good enough. Nothing is wrong.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: blurredvision
[I'm hoping and praying I don't have to pay anything.....I don't think I have the money to pay it right now (depending on how much it is). Besides, I'm leaning more towards them being responsible for servicing it and cleaning it, as I paid $3k for a full service install. My inefficieny aside, for them to leave out the air filter is unnacceptable.

While they perhaps SHOULD have put in a filter, YOU are still at fault for not checking it for 7 months...Under normal useage, (depending on how dirty the air in your area is) a NORMAL air filter would have plugged pretty badly by now, and would have seriously restricted how much air could flow through the system, potentially causing OTHER problems that YOU'D be responsible for...

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Your heat exchanger could be pretty packed with dust by now...you MAY need to have it cleaned and serviced.

Yeh, you should see our filter after a month. It is caked with gunk. Of course I have 3 kids running in and out of the house constantly... dragging in all kids of dirt.